Different Kind of Fun
by KortneyBreAnne
Summary: They had the courage to see the people behind the monsters and suffered for it. Now that Belle finally knows the truth about Rumple, she faces a challenge she's not entirely sure she's ready for. Will knows a thing or two about broken hearts, but can he save Belle or will Belle be the one to save him from himself? [Belle/Will][Slightly AU]
1. Finding Hope

_Chapter One. __Finding Hope._

* * *

_"Please, Belle... I... I'm scared." _

Belle shot forward in her bed, heart pounding, tears falling from her eyes. Rumple's final words haunted her every night and everyday since she forced him over the line.

She had hoped with time the feeling of betrayal and loss would dull, but with three weeks quickly turning to a month, she felt as if nothing would ever help her feel whole again.

Laying slowly back down on her pillow, Belle looked at the clock sitting on her bedside table. The red numbers flashing in the dark told her it was only four in the morning.

She sighed. There was no way she was falling back to sleep tonight.

So instead of trying, she reached over and turned on the antique lamp that was next to her alarm.

Light flooded into her tiny apartment bedroom. She had been living in the apartment since she sent Rumple away. It just felt wrong being in the home they had lived in together, almost like a lie. A lie she couldn't bring herself to continue living. So she had emptied Rumple's home of all her belongings and quickly found herself a new home to live in.

The apartment was small, but more than big enough for just her. It was about a block away from the library, which she happy for. It meant she could walk to and from work everyday, something she preferred immensely.

It was three rooms, her bedroom, a bathroom, and a living area that consisted of her kitchen and living room combined.

The walls of her bedroom were a soft yellow, her floors the same dark mahogany that ran throughout the rest of the tiny home. Her kitchen and living area consisted of one accent wall that was entirely brick and the others a faded wallpaper that was covered in retro orange and yellow flowers.

To most, the wallpaper would be a definite disadvantage to the apartment, but Belle found herself rather liking it. Finding it endearing rather than appalling.

All in all, she liked the apartment, but couldn't help but feel like it wasn't a home. It was sparsely decorated. Filled with mostly furniture that Emma had helped her scrounge together, the only furniture she had were the bed she was laying on, the dark purple couch in her living area and the small table she used to eat her meals on. Her many books she left lined up against the walls, scattered about the apartment.

In the corner of her living area, pushed up against a wall was a box filled with a bookshelf she had yet to put together. She had, since moving in, planned on putting it together, but every time found herself overwhelmed while staring at the thousands of tiny pieces scattered around her.

So instead of putting it together, she simply put it off to the side, figuring she would deal with it later.

As Belle made her way to the kitchen her eyes fell on the box and she swore to herself she would put it together tonight.

She opened her fridge and grabbed the orange juice.

She wanted to think of the apartment as her home, she really did, but felt it was so empty, so sad, much like herself since sending Rumple away, for it to be a home. Then again, Rumple's home had never really been hers either. He had tried to make her feel comfortable there, allowed her to change what she wished, but she had never felt right about changing the home he had built. So she contented herself with the home the way it was. Besides, it was so well decorated she didn't see how she could make any improvements to it.

The idea of decorating the apartment entirely on her own was a daunting one. She wasn't even entirely sure she knew what she liked…

She filled one of her glasses with orange juice and placed the carton back in her fridge. She raided her cabinets for the box of cheerios she knew she had and made herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

She was supposed to meet Hook at the library at eight, so that they could continue their search to save the fairies. They'd been at it almost nonstop for the past month and they were no closer to finding a spell now than they were then.

But still, Belle wouldn't give up. When she finished eating she cleaned up her mess and got dressed for the day after a quick shower. It was nearing five thirty when Belle started down the road to the library. The sun was just rising and the air was crisp and wet from the morning dew. She smiled, thinking how beautiful the day was sure to be.

Not many people were on the streets as she walked, which was how she preferred it. Most people treated her with slight contempt, feeling it was her fault that Rumple had helped Ingrid almost destroy the town.

It didn't bother her as much as it should.

Her day seemed just like any other until she opened the door to the library.

Laying, passed out in the middle of her library was the same man she had found in a similar situation only a few months before.

She watched him for a moment as he muttered and tossed in his sleep. She sighed, knowing it would be silly to bother Emma with this this early in the morning. So instead of calling the sheriff, she walked over to the man.

She leaned down next to him and tried to gently wake him. He reeked of booze and seemed unbothered by her soft prodding.

"Come on, you can't sleep on the floor." She said as she shook him with a lot more force.

That seemed to wake him just barely, "hhhmm?"

His words were incoherent and Belle found herself rolling her eyes.

"Come on, up you go. I don't know why, but if you're going to pass out, you should at least use the couch in the back." She used all her strength to help the man up and half drag him into the back room where the old couch remained.

He fell face first onto the dusty old thing, and Belle figured he probably wouldn't suffocate, so she left him be.

* * *

A few hours later, after a call from Hook saying he wouldn't be there today, Belle finally heard the man stir from the back. She turned to look as he came into the bright lobby, squinting, "Ah bloody hell... that's bright..."

He took a few more steps before he opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. He froze in his spot, wondering if she was going to call the sheriff on him. He figured she wasn't, considering she hadn't yet, but she always had the chance to. He really didn't want to deal with that woman today, the sheriff had left him alone for the most part since the snow witch had died. He didn't want to be on her radar again.

Belle sighed, "I don't know why I bother locking up if you're just going to break in any way."

She looked back at the book she was holding and Will chuckled softly, "Right. Sorry 'bout that."

"No you're not." Belle said without looking up from her book.

"You're right, I'm not." Will smirked, "Is that granny's coffee I smell?"

Belle had made a quick trip to granny's after the diner opened and had picked up two coffees for Hook and herself. She had already finished hers, but since Hook had canceled on their researching plans, his was still full.

Without really knowing why, she pushed the styrofoam to-go cup towards her hardly wanted guest.

Will smiled, and grabbed the cup, "Thanks, love."

Belle ignored him, still concentrating on her book.

Will rocked back on his heels, feeling the urge to speak to this woman despite her obvious wish not to speak to him. He walked over to her and stuck his hand out to her, "Will Scarlet, don't think we ever made proper acquaintances."

She looked at his hand then looked at him, but made no move to shake his hand, "Belle. It's kind of difficult to exchange pleasantries when one is passed out on the floor."

Will laughed, "Well you certainly have me there, darlin'. So tell me Belle, why did I wake up back there, instead'a behind bars at the sheriff station?"

Belle shrugged, "It was early. I didn't want to bother Emma. Besides, you weren't doing anything dangerous. Just stupid. Other than the one book, you haven't damaged anything, so I figured it wasn't that big of a deal."

"But still. I broke in and that's still illegal, last time I checked."

"Would you prefer that I call her?"

"Not at all, just trying to figure you out, is all."

"Well," Belle said, feeling uncomfortable under the man's oddly heavy gaze, "There's nothing to figure out. You're not going to hurt me, if you were you would have done it by now. Why you feel the need to break into my library every time you go on a binge is a mystery but not worthy of calling Emma on you."

"Oi, wait a minute!" Will exclaimed, slightly shocked at the pretty brunettes reasoning. Sure he didn't want to hurt her, but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. How could she be so flippant about her own safety like that? "I'm still a thief, ain't a killin' one, but still a criminal all the same. You should be more careful who you trust, lil lady."

Belle put the book down and stared at Will. "Don't call me 'lil lady', and I'm confused. I don't call the cops on you, something most people would be thankful for, yet you, of all people, lecture me for it?"

"It ain't safe is all I'm saying. Just cause I ain't gonna hurt you, don't mean the next fella to break in won't. And it ain't every time, just sometimes." He defended himself. He only broke in here when he was feeling particularly down about himself, when he felt like he was forgetting her.

That's why he kept coming back for that book, because that was the only piece of her that he still had. As much as he wanted to forget the pain with alcohol, he never wanted to forget her.

"No one else would bother breaking in in the first place." She pointed out.

He shrugged, "Might be true, but you still have questionable judgment."

Belle huffed and stood up. He was tall, even in her heels she had to look up to look him in the eyes.

Despite that, Will didn't feel like he was looking down at her. If anything he felt tiny under her heated gaze.

"Don't you have someplace to be, other than in my library, bothering me?" She had had her fill of Will Scarlet to last her a lifetime. It was bad enough that everyone in town thought she was stupid for loving Rumpelstiltskin, but she sure as hell didn't need some stranger telling her she was stupid for a whole different reason to her face. Least of all after she had been nice enough to not to have him arrested.

"Well 'scuse me!" He said as Belle gathered her books and walked past him, making sure to knock into his side as she did so, "Didn't realize I was keepin' your royal majesty from such important readins."

His mocking tone only added to the irritation building up within her, "Would you stop being such an ass already? If it'll make you happy, next time I will call Emma!"

"Well fine!" He shouted.

"Fine!" She shouted back over her shoulder as she made her way to the bookshelf she had pulled the books from. As she tried to focus on putting the books away and not on how her eyes were stinging, she heard him muttering to himself before the front door opened and closed.

When she figured he was gone for good, she put the books in one of the empty spots and leaned on the bookshelf for support.

She let the tears fall. She wasn't sad, at least not more than she normally was, she was angry. She was angry that he broke in, that he lectured her for doing what she thought was right, and most of all she was angry that this man, this complete stranger, managed to push her to the point of feeling weak in her own library, the closest thing to a home that she currently had.

Well if he wanted to be arrested so badly, she'd have him arrested the next time his drunk ass stumbled into her library! That was for damn sure!

* * *

Will was sitting in the Rabbit Hole, enjoying himself a drink quite a few hours later. He was only just now starting to calm down from his burst of anger earlier in the library.

He didn't like when people made him feel dumb and somehow that little brunette knew exactly how to push him in all the wrong ways.

He nursed his drink slowly, not wanting to get as wasted as he had the night before.

He knew he shouldn't have stuck around after waking up. He should have just thanked her for not calling the Sheriff on him, then went on his way. But there was something about the girl that kept him right there, trying to understand her. He hadn't been shown much kindness in his life, least of all here in Storybrooke. He was shocked by her choice to not have him arrested.

Instead she had been kind enough to help him off the floor and to a couch for him to sleep the binge off. He wasn't used to that. He wasn't used to somebody wanting to help him.

Ana had been more interested in what he could do for her, even Alice only wanted him around so that he could help her find Cyrus. He just couldn't understand why a complete stranger like Belle would care enough to help some two bit thief like himself.

He felt a bit guilty about the way he had treated her. He had saw how she didn't want to talk, but he had pushed her anyway. And then even insulted her for being nice to him.

He sighed.

He should probably just keep his distance from her and the library from now on. It'd be better that way. Surely after the scene he had created earlier, she'd rather he not show up again.

But as he sat and slowly finished his drink he realized he didn't really want to stay away. He felt guilty for the way he had treated her, and Will Scarlet didn't do guilt. He just didn't.

So he threw some money on to the counter and headed out the door. It was almost six, so he knew she'd still be there for another four hours.

He stopped at Granny's on the way to the library and ordered two coffees. He was unsure of how she liked hers so he made sure to grab some sugar and cream packets before he left.

When he got closer to the library and saw the lights were still on, he knew he had been right.

He opened the door and saw her sitting at the same spot she had been earlier, her head still buried in a book.

Belle finished the page she had been reading before she looked up to greet her customer, "Hello- oh, it's you."

She looked down at her book and went back to reading, "Bit early aren't you? I don't lock up for a few more hours."

He raised his hands in the air, still holding both the coffees, "I ain't here to fight. Believe it or not I actually brought a peace offerin'."

She looked up from the book and stared at him. He showed her the cup and smiled, "Figured I acted like a bit of an arse earlier and I wanted to say sorry."

Belle was too shocked to reply for a moment, "Er... thanks."

Will let the door close behind him and walked over to the table and put the coffee in front of her. He dug into his pockets and pulled out the packets of sugar and cream, before he sat down across from her at the table.

"Wasn't right of me to start lecturin' you the way I did." He started, "You're a big girl, you can take care'a yourself. Just ain't used to someone bein' halfway decent to me, so I didn't know how to react. Figured I owed you an apology."

Belle nodded slowly, "No it wasn't, but I accept your apology. You aren't the only one who might have gone a bit too far. I shouldn't have gotten so irritated. I just didn't appreciate being talked down to, I know plenty of people around here think I'm stupid, and I took my frustration out on you. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

Will was surprised yet again by her, "You're not stupid. You like them things too much to be stupid." He motioned towards the book in front of her, "I met plenty of idiots in my life, I can assure you, you ain't one of 'em."

"Well, thank you. If only the rest of the town felt that way..."

"Oh, w'the hell do they know anyway?" He shrugged, "People like 'em think what they want cause s'easier than actually findin' out the truth."

Belle smiled, "I wish I could look at it that way."

Will decided that he liked her smile, he liked it a lot, "Well what reason do they have to think less 'a you, anyway?"

She looked down, her smile fading, "They blame me for not stopping Rumple... for not stopping him sooner. For not seeing him for what he truly was before it was too late."

Will wanted to keep that frown from taking over her face, "Now that's what's stupid. You ain't the first person to be blinded by love, 'n you sure as hell ain't gonna be the last."

"You sound like you speak from experience." Belle looked at the man in front of her and noticed for perhaps the first time how sad he looked. Lost, even.

He looked away from her and shrugged, "Like I said, you ain't the first. I haven't the right to judge you for following your heart, even if it led you wrong."

Sensing that this wasn't a topic he wanted to talk about, Belle let it go. She was happy just knowing that she wasn't alone. That somebody else had been in her spot before.

"Does it ever get easier?" She asked without being able to help herself.

She needed to hear that the pain she drowning in would go away. That one day she could smile and not feel like she was forcing herself to or feel guilty for being happy.

Will looked back at her and the pain in his eyes answered her question, "Not really, no. You just learn to get on the best you can, I guess."

Belle's heart ached for a moment, but not for herself. No, her heart was breaking for the shell of a man sitting in front of her. She could see the pain rolling off of him in waves, perhaps because she knew those pains herself. How long had he suffered alone? She had been dealing with her pain for the past month and she still felt like she was dying, and that was with Emma and Killian and everyone else who cared about her being by her side. Did Will have someone to help him?

She doubted it.

Belle reached across the table and put her hand on top of his. She didn't know why, but it felt like the right thing to do.

"Thank you." She said, fully meaning it. Even though Emma and Killian had been trying to help her this past month, nothing had helped her see any of hope for herself. But as she stared at Will, she felt maybe not all was lost after all. Strange as it might seem, despite the fact that the man sitting in front of her was lost in ways she couldn't really even comprehend yet, she found the courage to hold on to hope.

She wouldn't let her pain destroy her and she would be damned if she let Will suffer alone for another second.

She would find a way to have a happy ending, even without Rumple. She would find it and she would make sure Will Scarlet did too.

* * *

**You cannot begin to understand how excited I am for this pairing. I know it's not gonna last in the show, fans love Rumbelle far too much to let that happen, but I guess that's what we have fanfiction for, isn't it? **

**So I basically had no idea that this was coming, I don't bother to look up spoilers for future episodes and honestly Belle isn't a character I would care enough to read spoilers for. (But! Now that she has some distance from Rumple I can actually start to like her a bit more.) I was taken by complete surprise at the end of the episode. I literally gasped (Belle and Will Scarlet? WHAT! That came out of nowhere!). And since then I haven't been able to get these scenes out of my head, I had to write them down. **

**Please pardon any grammar errors or typos. I tried to read through this a few times and fix what I could, but I know there has to be something that slipped through, because I was just too excited to wait to post it. **

**I don't know if this will be an actual story, so far I just have scenes in my head that I really want to play out, so I might just make it a series of one shots. But maybe not, you'll have to stick around to find out! ;)**

**P.S. Like I said, I've never really liked Belle's character so if she seems a little OOC, I'm sorry. I'm not used to writing her character. Same goes for Will because I've never seen Wonderland, so I'm pretty much working with what little he's been in Storybrooke.**


	2. Habits

_Chapter 2. Habits._

* * *

Belle was surprised to see Will walk into the library, hands full with two coffees, the very next day. And the next day, and the next, until she stopped being surprised and just assumed he would be there every day at the same time. She would research how to save the fairies and around five, Will would stroll in with two coffees. He would help her clean up the books and they would talk. And laugh. And just all around enjoy each others company.

Belle enjoyed the visits because it gave her a chance to forget that the fairies were trapped in the hat and that she couldn't find the spell to save them. She'd also be lying if she said she didn't enjoy Will's company. He didn't treat her like some delicate flower. He didn't tip toe around her feelings and certainly never made her feel guilty for not feeling better. He also made her laugh in a way she hadn't laughed in a long time, even with Rumple.

She enjoyed his visits because she just simply enjoyed being around him.

Will didn't know why he came back the next day after their first coffee night. One second he was walking around town, the next he was walking out of Granny's and heading to the library, two to-go cups in his hands.

He had been nervous at first, not entirely sure she'd want to see him again, especially so soon. But as soon as he opened the door and she looked up from her book and smiled at him, he felt his nervousness disappear.

After that, he couldn't keep himself away. He tried to reason with himself that he only went so that he could help her. After all, who knew the pain of never being good enough for the one you love better than him?

But part of him, deep down inside, knew that wasn't the whole answer. He enjoyed spending time with her because she was the first person in a long time that made him feel like maybe he wasn't so alone. Her optimism was a refreshing break from his normal pessimistic outlook on life.

Even though he could see the pain and heart ache in her eyes every time he looked, she still insisted that things would get better.

He liked that. He liked her.

After a full week of their routine, he finally asked, "What do you spend all day readin' about, anyhow?"

Belle continued to put away the books as she answered, "Well, Killian and I are trying to find a spell that can bring back the fairies."

"I take it it ain't goin' so well." He guessed.

Belle paused for a moment, and sighed, "No, it's not."

Her voice was sad, but there was also something deeper there. It was almost like chiding herself.

"You'll figure it out." He said.

She shook her head, "But what if I don't? Those fairies are stuck in there and god only knows how terrible it is. If I don't find a way to save them..."

Will put the books down and walked over to the worrying brunette. He took the books out of her hands and placed them to the side, before turning her to face him, "You will."

She looked down, "It's been over a month, Will. If I haven't found it yet, when will I ever? It's all my fault that they're in there, I have to find a way to save them."

"Oi, hold on a second," He lifted her chin up to look him in the eyes, "Who says it's your fault? Last time I checked you didn't hold that hat and put the fairies in there. And you weren't the one forcin' Hook to do it, either."

"No, but I should have realized Rumple was up to something. I should have stopped him... I-" Her eyes were filling with tears, and Will hated seeing her cry.

"You didn't know 'cause you believed the best of 'im. You believe the best in everyone, an' it's not a bad thing. You're good an' you want to believe everyone else is too, that's one'a the best things 'bout you. Don't let Rumpelstiltskin's mistakes make you feel guilty. The fairies are on him, not you."

He wiped away one of her runaway tears with his thumb, "You're gonna find a way to save 'em, I know you are 'cause you're the smartest damn person in this town, an' if you can't find it it's 'cause it ain't there to find."

Belle wanted to believe in what Will was saying. She wanted to not feel guilty. But she also knew that no matter what others might tell her, her inability to see Rumple as a villain made her just as guilty as he was in every terrible thing he did to the town.

But the fact that Will had so much faith in her... it made her want to cry even more. She didn't know what to say, so instead she just wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her head into his neck.

Will froze for a minute, unsure of how to handle this. He couldn't remember the last time he had to comfort a sobbing woman. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He rested his head on hers, and just held her.

He wanted to make her stop, and he wished that he knew the magic words to erase the guilt she felt, but he was at a lose. So he held her, and hoped that it helped.

* * *

The next day, Belle was feeling a little better about the search. She still had no idea how to save the faeries, or where to even continue searching, but she felt better. She knew it was because of Will, and as she thought about her newest friend she smiled.

The pressure to save them felt a little less intense now that she had finally vented out her stresses. Knowing that Will believed she would find a way to save them, that he thought she was the smartest person in town, also helped her a lot.

It felt good knowing that she had someone who believed in her, even when she couldn't believe in herself.

So instead of allowing herself to wallow in self pity for another moment, Belle went to work finding the spell she knew had to be somewhere in her library.

She had been deep in concentration for three hours straight, when the door to the library opened and brought her back to reality. Assuming it was Killian, she didn't bother to look up, but instead kept reading, "I found some promising books in the back. I've read through the three over here, but there's still two more on the counter that I haven't touched yet."

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the man walk over to the counter and grab one of the books before pulling out the chair across from her and sitting down. She didn't look up until a familiar hand pushed a to-go cup of coffee towards her.

Shocked, she looked up and smiled, "Will! You're here early."

She looked at the watch on her hand, it was barely past eleven. She reached over and grabbed the cup of coffee, glad for the much needed caffeine break.

"Yeah," Will shrugged, "I had some free time, figured I'd help ya out."

"Will, you don't have to do that."

He gave her a look, "No, but I want to. Besides, I doubt I'll be much help, but at least you won't be cooped up in here alone."

She laughed, "I'm sure you'll be more help than you think. Thank you."

Will felt his face turning warm, and had to look down at the book, "Don't mention it."

Belle tried to contain her happiness. The truth was, working in the library all by herself was starting to drive her a bit mad. A person could only handle being cooped up alone for so long, before they started to go stir crazy.

She had never seen Will blush before, and she was surprised to find that she rather liked the way he looked when he did. The look on his face was bashful, almost childlike. It made her smile even more.

Will looked up from his book, and gave her a disapproving glance, "That book isn't going to read itself." He said, trying to contain the blush spreading across his face.

Damn it was embarrassing. Will Scarlet didn't blush, he just didn't. Yet as he sat across from the studious woman and felt her staring him down, he couldn't help himself.

He had decided last night as she sobbed into his shoulder that he was going to start helping her. She shouldn't be the only one responsible for finding a way to save the faeries. Even though she had said Killian was helping, Will didn't feel like the man was doing very much it. After all, it was Belle that spent all day, everyday searching through all those endless books. It was her who seemed haunted by the faeries, guilt ridden to find a solution to a problem she had no hand in creating in the first place.

Will knew books weren't exactly his specialty, but he knew how to read, and he'd be damned if he was going to sit by and let Belle drown herself in guilt. He'd help her, and he wouldn't stop until they found the spell she believed was somewhere in here.

Belle held back the giggle she felt coming, and looked back down at her book, "You're right, sorry."

When he was content that she really was reading again, he put his attention back on his own book.

As Belle read, she couldn't help but cast quick glances at the man across from her. Smiling to herself, she was thankful yet again that she could count Will Scarlet as one of her friends.

* * *

Only an hour and a half later, Will snapped his book shut and dropped it on the table. He looked at Belle, "That's it. I'm officially callin' break. I'm starvin', let's go get somethin' t'eat."

Belle jumped at the sudden noise, losing her place in the book as she nearly dropped it. "Oh, that's okay, you go. I'm not that hungry."

She didn't normally stop for lunch. With the stress she had been under, she had never really been very hungry in the first place, but she also never wanted to waste the time. She had so many books to read through... well eating just didn't seem like the most important thing when she knew those faeries were stuck in that terrible place.

"Now, Belle. There's one a' two ways this is gonna go down. Either you put down that book an' come with me t' Granny's for lunch of your own free will, or I'm gonna pick you an' carry you all the way t' Granny's." He looked at her as he stood up, not joking at all, "Your choice."

Knowing he wasn't kidding, Belle placed the book on the table, and stood up, "When did you become so bossy?"

"You've been rubbin' off on me." He said as he rolled his eyes.

The diner was full when Belle and Will walked in. Seeing a free booth, Will put his hand on the small of Belle's back and led her past the other patrons.

"I don't know how you can do that all day long." He said as he sat down

"I like reading."

He laughed, "You'd have to."

She smiled at his comment, "You know I appreciate the help, I really do. But I don't expect you to do it all day. You're free to go whenever you want."

He shook his head, "Ah, don't listen to me. I jus' like to complain. How do you do it though?"

Belle shrugged, "I'm used to it, I guess. My mother loved books. She would read to me everyday. Her love just rubbed off on me."

She traced circles into the table, letting herself relive the past for a moment.

"My mother was the bravest, kindest woman I ever knew. When she died... well the only thing I had left of her was her books. At that time when I would read her favorites it was like I could almost hear her voice reading it to me. I still can, sometimes." Belle didn't know why she was telling him about her mother. Maybe it was because she missed her mother. Maybe it was because nobody asked about her, not even Rumple.

But as she told Will about her mother, it just felt right.

Will listened to her without interrupting. He could see that losing her mother was something she still felt strongly.

He also enjoyed learning more about Belle. It was like unraveling a mystery with her. He wanted to know everything he could about the young woman sitting across from him. He didn't really know why, he just did. He wanted to know what made her smile, what made her frown, and what she loved, what she hated.

He wanted to know, well, everything.

"You miss her," he said, without hesitation.

She nodded, not trusting her voice. She paused a moment before she felt she could trust herself not to break down, "It's been so long since she died, but she was taken from us before her time, so violently, so suddenly, that it's hard to let go."

Belle could tell he wanted to ask more, but was unsure if he should. He didn't want to push her too far.

She answered, without needing to be asked, "It was during the ogre wars. Our castle was under siege by the ogre armies. My father had ordered that everyone evacuate, but my mother couldn't bear the idea of leaving behind her books. Knowledge to her was the best weapon against everything. So she went to the library and gathered all the books she didn't want falling into the wrong hands."

That seemed like something Belle would do, Will realized. Rushing into a deadly situation, thinking they were doing the right thing. "You went with her, didn't you?"

She chuckled, "That obvious, huh? Yeah, I did. I couldn't let her go by herself and honestly I couldn't bear to be parted from some of those books either. We had been about to leave when an ogre broke down the door to library..." she took a breath trying to steady herself, "We hid under one of the tables, praying that it would pass right by. It didn't."

She closed her eyes and Will reached over and took her hands.

"I don't remember what happened after. I think it's for the best too. All I know is that she gave gave her life so that I could live..."

"She sounds like a pretty great lady."

She smiled, "Yeah, she was."

* * *

Emma and Hook were sitting at the bar waiting for their lunch when the door opening caught Emma's attention.

Belle, for the first time in what felt like months, was walking into Granny's... laughing?

Emma thought that by itself was strange. After all, Belle had been so withdrawn since Rumpelstiltskin's banishment. She rarely did anything but sit in the library reading or sit at home reading. And she certainly seemed to be avoiding Granny's like a plague, despite Emma's open offer to join her for lunch anytime.

But the strangest part of Belle's sudden reappearance at Granny's was that she didn't come alone. Following behind her was a man that Emma knew well enough to know he certainly wasn't someone Belle would normally associate with.

"What the...?" She said mostly to herself as she watched Will Scarlet place his hand on Belle's back and help Belle to the only open booth in the diner.

"What is it, love?" Killian turned to see what had Emma so enthralled. "Well... that's interesting."

"Interesting?" Emma shot back, "Suspicious is what it is."

"Suspicious of what exactly, Swan?"

"Scarlet isn't exactly Belle's regular company. He's up to something."

Killian looked at the two across the diner. They seemed as if they were in there own little world. The way she laughed, the way he smiled. Killian knew the look forming on Will Scarlet's face, he knew it only too well. The poor lad could hardly keep his eyes off of her.

He laughed and turned Emma so that she was facing towards the bar, and not staring at the young pair trying to have lunch.

"The only thing he's doing is setting himself up for disappointment, not exactly worthy of your investigation skills."

"What do you mean? He's a thief and she's the richest woman in town since she kicked Gold over the line. There's no way he's not up to something."

"Just trust me on this, Swan." He looked over and saw Will leaning across the table, taking Belle's hands in his, "The only person in danger over there is him."

* * *

**Okay, first of all, I want to thank everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed the last chapter. I love all of you, and I hope this chapter was as enjoyable as the last.**

**Second, I'd like to tell everyone that I've got an idea of what I want to do with this story. It was plot line I was playing around with ever since Rumple started his quest for uncontrolled power, that I had thought the writers might have been leading up to. They weren't and I'm glad because it allowed Belle the chance to find out just how strong her character could be.**

**Third, I have serious question to pose for everyone who has read this far. Am I going too fast in building their relationship? I have some trouble building believable relationships between people, and tend to skip directly to fluff that I desperately want to write. I'm trying to convey that they're just friends right now, but both of them seem to be drawn to each other, something neither one of them is entirely ready for. Should I try to slow it down more?**

To RedTailedHawkens,** thank you so much for reviewing! I want you to know that I respect that while you don't support the pairing, you are at least willing to give this story a try. Honestly, when I began writing this I figured I was going to get some serious Rumbelle hate, it never even crossed my mind that Will Scarlet has a pairing that people know and love and will fight for too. Because of that, I'm going to try to respect the pairing as much as I can, while still supporting ScarletBeauty. (That being said, I don't think you should give up hope on Ana and Will, if Rumbelle will inevitably come back together, there is some hope that they will too.)**

**Now about how Belle feels judged, you're right. In some ways, she is projecting. She's been through a very traumatic experience. She's been lied to and used by the one person she thought she could always trust. She's been pushed to the edge and now she's trying to protect herself by withdrawing from the world. **

**But I also don't think very highly of the townspeople (if they have one more mob on the show, I'm going to seriously lose my shit on these people). Which is why I feel some people (those who were wronged by Rumple) still feel the need to take their anger out towards Belle. But these people are definitely in the minority! Most people are just keeping their distance because they don't know how to help Belle, so they'd rather just stay away until she feels better.**

**And about Wonderland, I definitely agree. I need to watch it. **

**When his character started getting screen time in Storybrooke I tried to watch it, but it wasn't on Netflix and WatchABC wouldn't let me download the episodes on my tv, so everything I've learned about Will and Ana comes from their Wiki pages. I agree with your point about Ana, Alice, and Lizard (I don't know much about her character, but on his wiki page I did read that she had been in love with him) caring about him, but with his pessimistic, almost self depreciating outlook on his life at this current moment, I felt like maybe he wouldn't see it that way. Not when he's alone in Storybrooke, and they're so far away from him.**

**Hopefully I'll be able to clear up some of his skewed beliefs in future chapters, I honestly can't wait to write more about him, but I want to watch at least some of Wonderland before I try.**


	3. Adventure Pt 1

_Chapter Three._

_Killian &amp; Will's Adventure Pt. 1_

* * *

The next day when Hook walked into the library, he was surprised to find that once again, Belle was not alone. Sitting across from where she always sat was Will Scarlet with his nose stuck in a book.

"I see you've recruited more help in finding the spell." Hook said, as he held the door open.

Belle looked up, "Oh, Killian, good you're here. Will just brought some books in from the back. They might be worth looking at."

As she said this, Killian noted how her eyes flitted to the young man sitting across from her, and how her lips turned up just a bit at the sides. He also noticed how she seemed happier than she had been in quite a while. It was a nice change.

When she noticed the way Killian seemed paused at the door, looking between her and Will, she shut her book, "Oh, right, sorry. Killian this is Will, Will this is-"

Will cut her off, "We've met before."

He too put his book down and shot a look over his shoulder at the all too familiar pirate, "I have permission to be here this time, no need to give me another shiner."

Killian laughed, but Belle didn't find it funny at all. She shot a worried look towards Will, "What?"

Before Will could explain, Killian spoke, "Sorry about that, mate. Let's just say I was having a pretty bad week."

Killian walked over to the table and held out his good hand towards the thief, "How about we leave the past in the past, and start over?"

Will looked at the man's hand before looking over at Belle. She was still staring at the two of them, completely confused.

He knew Belle thought of Hook as a friend, and he also knew that if she knew exactly what had passed between the pirate and him, she would be encouraging him to forgive Hook. To make make friends with the unlikely hero.

So, even though he was a bit hesitant, he looked back to Killian and grasped his hand with his own, "S'pose I could that."

"Great!" Killian smiled. He let go of Will's hand and looked at Belle, "So how's the spell coming along?"

* * *

It didn't take long for Will to decide befriending the pirate was as unlikely as him growing a third arm.

In the few measly hours that Killian had been plaguing the library with his presence, Will had decided there was no one more arrogant or annoying than the pirate currently pacing back and forth in front of him.

It had taken Killian only three hours to completely abandon the books and instead distract the other two from their own. He insisted on asking questions he knew Belle couldn't answer, on huffing at the lack of progress any of them had made.

Will was irritated because Hook's attitude was the absolute last thing Belle needed. As if she didn't already put enough pressure on herself to find the spell, now the pirate wanted to add more. For him, this simply proved that Killian wasn't nearly as invested in finding a way to save the faeries as Belle was.

"Six weeks!" Killian suddenly exploded, "And still nothing. Still those faeries are trapped in that bloody hat."

Belle was startled by Killian's outburst. Unlike Will, she had learned over the past month and a half to ignore the pirate's bad habits. "We just have to keep working at it."

She looked at Will as she continued, "But we will find a way to save them. We just have to keep our faith."

"Yeah, 'mate'. Have faith."

Killian shot a dirty look at the thief, "Easy for you to say, you haven't been at it this whole time."

"And you 'ave?" Will scoffed.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Belle saw the tension growing, and she quickly tried to diffuse the situation, "You guys, this isn't helping."

Will and Killian didn't even hear her. Will pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He turned to glare at the pirate, "What I mean is that for the last three hours, you've been doin' more bitchin' an' moanin' than you 'ave been readin' them books."

"I have too!" Killian defended himself, "Just because I read faster than you-"

"Like bloody hell you 'ave! You barely skimmed 'em!"

"How dare you suggest I'm not doing everything I can to help the faeries."

"I ain't suggestin' nothin', I'm _sayin'_ you ain't!"

Belle could see the two men in front of her were close to throwing punches. She pushed herself between them and put as much space as could between the two heated men, "Enough! This isn't helping anyone!"

Her interruption brought the men to a sudden stop. Killian turned and began pacing again, his pent up frustrations threatening to boil him over the edge.

Will dropped back down into his seat. He wanted to punch the pirate, he really did. It'd only be fair too. A shiner for a shiner, but that would hardly be something Belle would want.

"He started it." Will muttered.

Killian glared at the thief, "I most certainly did not, you stupid-"

"I don't care!" Belle shouted so loud that it blocked out whatever insult the pirate was forming, "Out of my library! If you two can't get along, then neither one of you can stay here."

"What?" They both exclaimed.

"You can't kick me out, this was my search in the first place." Killian argued.

Will rolled his eyes, "Funny considerin' she's the one doin' all the work. And this is her bloody library, she can do what she wants!"

Belle grabbed both men by their jackets and began dragging them to the door, "Out! I mean it, both of you."

They tumbled out of the door, and as she stood at the door staring at them she added, "And until you two learn to work together I don't want either of your help."

They were both looking at her crazy, but she didn't care. She couldn't focus on saving the faeries if she constantly had to referee those two.

But she had to admit the idea of going it alone was a daunting one for her. So as she slammed the door shut in their faces, she really did hope they managed to work things out quickly.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Killian glared at the thief.

"My problem? My problem is you and your arrogant attitude." Will countered with a glare just as heated.

Killian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't arrogant and he sure as hell didn't deserve to be lectured by some low life thief, "Arrogant? I was in there trying to help the faeries. It's you who can't put aside his petty anger to see the bigger picture."

Killian turned and started walking towards the Sheriff station.

Will wasn't going to let him walk away from him, "Petty anger? You seriously think this is about you punchin' me?"

"What the hell else could it be?"

Will grabbed Killian's jacket and yanked him to a stop.

"My problem," He said, "Is that you think you're searching for a way to save the faeries, that this is your big moment, your big quest to be a hero, but it ain't you who spends all day readin' those damn books. _It's her_."

"I never said that Belle wasn't a big part of this search. I'm not trying-"

"You might not be tryin' to, but it sure as hell is comin' off that way."

"Look, Knave," Killian growled, "I never said Belle wasn't important to this search and you have no right to stand here and tell me I haven't been working just as hard as her."

"Really?" Will asked sarcastically, "She wakes up at the crack of dawn and goes to that library hours before openin' time. And she don't leave til well after closin' either. Everyday. I know that because unlike the rest of this bloody town, I see her. I see the way the guilt is eatin' through her. I see that there ain't gonna be no gettin' better for her til she finds a way to make it all right in the world again."

All through out the Knave's rant, Killian listened silently. He watched how animated the man became as he defended Belle, and how soft his eyes went while describing her.

"You've got it worse than I thought..." Killian said softly to himself.

"What?"

"Never mind." Killian sighed, knowing this was hardly the time to point out how lovesick the Knave was, even if he didn't realize it himself.

Will threw his hands into the air, "Unbelievable. You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Will turned to leave.

This time, Killian stopped him. Killian hadn't realized how much of this quest of his he'd been putting off on Belle. He hadn't realized just how much of this search had been consuming her. He had been too distracted with his own guilt to take notice of hers.

Some friend he was.

Perhaps the Knave was right. Maybe he was being selfish... arrogant.

"Wait." Killian said, "You're right."

Those words brought Will to a sudden halt.

"I haven't put in as much effort as I should have been these last few weeks." Killian sighed, "This is every bit as much her quest as it is mine. If not more."

"Damn right it is."

"Honestly I'm worried there isn't a spell at all. We've gone through almost every book in that damn library and still we have nothing."

Will hesitated for a moment, "There might not be, but if there is, then she'll find it."

"It's all that damn crocodile's fault!" Killian cursed, "If he hadn't found that bloody hat in the sorcerer's house none of us would be in this situation."

"No." Will agreed, "But he would 'ave been up to somethin' all the same. People like him can't stop themselves from mucking things up."

"Well anything would have been preferable to that hat."

A thought occurred to Will, "Wait a minute. I think I'm havin' an idea. You said the hat was at the sorcerer's house?"

"Yes, it all seemed to connect back to the house: Arendelle, the snow queen, the hat, and the crocodile's plan for world domination."

"Right, well since everything was connected to the house, what if the answer to savin' the faeries ain't in the library, but in the house where the hat originally was?"

Killian thought about what the Knave said. It certainly made sense. Why would the Author or the Sorcerer (or whoever the hell it was) leave books about the hat for just anyone to keep in their libraries? It would make a lot more sense if the books were kept hidden, just like the hat itself.

"Emma and I searched though the house, but you could still be right." Killian said, "She and I had been more concerned about finding more weapons of mass destruction than looking through the author's private collection of books."

"Well," Will said, "What are we waitin' for?"

* * *

**I had fun writing Killian and Will, but it was also the most difficult part of writing this chapter. The chapter was a little shorter than I like to normally post, but I felt I needed to end it where I did because there wasn't going to be another good spot for awhile. I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**I think next chapter I'll give you guys a peak into what Rumple is up to. Fair warning though, I don't plan on following the canon storyline. I'm going to give Scarlet Beauty a fighting chance by letting them get to know each other and actually fall in love, THEN I'm going to f*** shit up by throwing Rumple into the mix. *cue evil laughter***

**Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews and follows! I'm so glad you guys are liking it so far, and I'm glad for your feedback.**

SoulWriter101. **I'm glad you and I agree on Scarlet Beauty. I wish more people would give it a chance. I don't like to think of Belle as a weak character, mainly because I did really like Beauty and the Beast, but I've always had a hard time reconciling the two Belle's in my mind. I feel like the writers really dropped the ball with Belle's character, but I think this season they're trying to fix that. If only they would give her more screen time! **

MinhUsagi134. **I agree. Rumple has had too many chances. You can only break someone's heart so many times before they stop giving it to you. Belle deserves someone who is her equal. She doesn't need someone to give her the world, she can find it on her own. She just wants to share it with someone else. I like Will and Ana. I finally watched the whole series. But I didn't find myself in love with the pairing like I am with Will and Belle. Then again, I couldn't really give them a fair chance, considering I was distracted by Alice and Cyrus (they were so freaking adorable). As for slowing down, I agree. That's why Emma and Killian are going to be making a few more appearances in the next few chapters. They'll be keeping the two separated a bit.**


	4. Adventure Pt 2

_Chapter Four._

_Killian and Will's Adventure Pt. 2_

* * *

Emma was walking out of the sheriff's station when she was brought to a sudden stop at the sight before her. Will and Killian were standing not too far from the library in the middle of what seemed like a very intense argument.  
Just as she was about to head over and break up whatever was going on, they both smiled at each other. Emma blinked quickly, sure her eyes were playing tricks on her.  
But they weren't.  
One second those boys were at each others throats, now they were taking off down the road together like they were the best of friends.  
It was just too strange for Emma. First Belle, now Killian?  
Belle she could understand. She was filthy rich because of Gold, but Killian? What could Scarlet possibly be up to with her pirate?  
Emma considered for a moment following after the two. But as her feet started to move, she stopped herself.  
Following Scarlet was one thing. He was a thief, a drunk, a troublemaker. He, by himself, was probably up to something.  
But Killian, she couldn't follow him. If he needed her, he would call. As difficult as it was for her, she knew she had to trust Killian. He'd keep Scarlet out of trouble, and probably find out just what exactly that thief was up to.  
As she cast one last look at the pair before they disappeared behind a corner, she decided she would ask him about it tonight at dinner though.  
She was only human, after all.

* * *

The house was just as Killian remembered it. The giant, finely decorated mansion had been untouched since the fiasco with the ice queen and Rumpelstiltskin had been taken care of.  
It was almost a shame that such a nice home should be left decaying on outskirts of town. Aside from the Dark One's house, this was probably the finest home in all of Storybrooke. But the home was now cursed, twisted by the darkness that Rumpelstiltskin had tried to release that fateful night. No one could possibly find solace in a place like this that was haunted by such evil.  
As the two men walked in, Killian felt his heart clench up. It was as if he were reliving that awful night: His heart in the hands of the crocodile, his love rushing off to her doom, and his complete helplessness to stop it all.  
"We should just burn this bloody house to the ground." He grumbled.  
Will had never seen the house before and almost missed the pirate's words as he was admiring the countless fine things around him. Such a nice house, filled with loads of nice stuff, abandoned at the edge of town?  
It was a thief's dream come true.  
"Let's find the spellbook then worry 'bout burnin' this place down." He said.  
They figured the best way to search the massive mansion was to work their way through the rooms one at a time.  
It was slow work, boring work, but the two worked diligently. Every inch of every room was searched. They left no leaf unturned. It was about an hour in that Will finally caved and said the first thing, "How did you know?"  
Killian was in the middle of digging through one of the built-in bookshelves, "Know what, mate?"  
"You called me Knave earlier. How did you know? I ain't told no one 'bout my past, not even Belle." It had been driving Will crazy for the past hour and a half.  
He had never met Killian in Wonderland, if he had, he'd surely remember. Besides, the pirate wasn't exactly the Wonderland type. Will seriously doubted the pirate's chances of surviving a place like Wonderland for long.  
It took a special sort of person to find home in that bewildering place.  
Killian wasn't sure if he should tell Will the truth or not. The true story wasn't one he liked to think about. Wonderland wasn't a memory he liked remembering. He had trusted Cora, as foolish as that was and he had done plenty of things he was not proud of for her.  
He knew that he had to tell the Knave the truth though. The old Killian would have lied because that's what villains did, they lied about the things they didn't want to talk about.  
Killian didn't want to be a villain.  
"It was a long time ago, just before Regina cast her curse. She had sent me to Wonderland to kill and bring her the dead body of her own mother."  
Will was shocked, "I knew the Queen was evil but bloody hell! That's messed up even for her."  
"Her mother was the Queen of Hearts."  
Will froze. So that's how he knew about the Knave. "Well, that makes some twisted sense."  
"I know. I didn't know much about Regina at the time, but she was promising me a chance to have my revenge against the Dark One, so I was willing to do whatever she asked of me."  
"I was a different man back then." He said quickly, trying to somehow justify his actions, even though he knew there was no justifying them,"I was still clouded by my hatred and need for revenge. I was every bit the villain Disney portrayed me as and then some."  
"Hey, I ain't judgin' you." Will told him, "We all have things in our past we ain't proud of. I did some pretty nasty things as the Knave, things I don't like rememberin'. You don't 'ave to tell me nothin'."  
"At least what you did, you had no choice in. Cora had your heart. I chose to work for her." Killian said bitterly.  
"Oi, she had my heart, but I'm the one who gave it to her in the first place."  
That surprised Killian, "You did? Why the hell would you do that?"  
Will shrugged, "Like I said, we all have things in our past that we regret, pirate. Ain't no point on dwellin' on them."

And damn did Will regret listening to Cora. None of the pain and heartbreak he and Ana had gone through would have happened if he had just trusted in their love. To think they could have spent so many more years together...

And if he had just went to Ana and told her that he didn't want to give up on her, he could have saved her. But he didn't. And now she wasn't here for him to save at all.

The hallow ache in his heart reminded him there was really no point in thinking about the past.

Will's stomach growled, "Damn, we should 'ave stopped at Granny's before comin' over here. I'm starvin'."

"As am I, mate. I'll admit rushing here hadn't been the best laid out plan. This house is even more unending then I remembered it."

"Might be a good time to call a break, don't ya think?"

Killian sighed, "Perhaps you're right. We can come back better prepared tomorrow. It'll be getting dark in a few hours, and I don't believe the electric bill has been paid here, well, ever. I don't know about you, but I don't fancy the idea of wondering around this house in the dark."

"Not at all. Let's head back to the library, if I know Belle-" Will stopped suddenly and turned around to look down the long hallway behind them, "Did you here that?"

"Hear what?"

Will continued to watched the hall for a moment, but eventually turned slowly back towards Killian, "Nothin', thought I heard somethin', this place is given me the creeps."

"I certainly agree with that." Killian couldn't wait to be out of this cursed place.

They started walking towards the front door. Will was on edge now. He had heard footsteps. He'd heard them clear as day. But who else but them would be at this place anyway?

He was the resident thief in town. It wasn't likely someone else was looting the place.

They were walking out the door when Killian spoke again, "What were you saying earlier, mate?"

Will had to think for a moment, "Ah right, if I know Belle, she probably hasn't eaten all day."

Killian nodded, "Plus we can't be banned from her library any longer."

"Right, she'll be thrilled we're gettin' along now."

"She will." Killian laughed, but it ended when he remembered why they weren't getting along earlier. He sighed, "Look, Will, I really didn't mean to push it all off on Belle. I'm going to make it up to her. On a pirate's oath, I swear it."

Will nodded, "I believe you. But I shouldn't 'ave acted that way though, she don't need me to protect her. If the way you were actin' was botherin' her, she would 'ave told you herself."

"You talk like you did something wrong. You were looking out for someone you care for, that's not a crime."

Will sighed, and scratched behind his ear, "Ah, might not be, but that don't give me the right to fight her battles for her. I haven't had a friend like her in quite some time, or any friend really. Guess I lost my head a bit."

Killian smirked, "Blame it on Wonderland."

Will rolled his eyes, "Ha ha."

"And just think," Killian threw his arm around Will's shoulders and laughed, "Now you've got two friends. It's a crazy world out here, Scarlet. You're gonna need us."

* * *

Belle heard the door to the library open. She looked up from her book and smiled at her unexpected guest.

"Henry! I didn't realize how late it was, are you off school already?" She closed her book and motioned for him to sit with her.

"Yeah," He chuckled as he walked over, "It's three thirty, Belle. Doesn't the library have a clock somewhere?"

Her smile wavered a little at her name. Henry never used her name since she married Rumple. He called her Grandma and even though it had taken some getting used to, she had come to expect it.

But she wasn't his Grandma anymore, was she? With Rumple beyond the town line, they were as good as divorced in the eyes of everyone in Storybrooke. In fact, most people seemed to think of Rumple as dead rather than away. Rumple could never return so it didn't make a difference to them.

It made a difference to Belle though. She could handle being alone if she knew Rumple was still out there, still living. If he was alive, he could always change his ways. He could become the man she had thought he could be.

If he was dead... Well she didn't want to think of that. Rumple had lived hundreds of years, he could make it on his own out in this magic-less world.

"Who needs a clock? Time is meaningless when you have a good book."

Henry laughed again, "I guess you're right. How's the search coming?"

"Slow," She said, "But we'll find a way to save the faeries. It's just going to take some work."

"Where's Killian? I thought he was gonna be here today."

So that's why Henry had come to the shop. Unlike Belle, Killian was a part of Henry's family since Killian was dating his mother. Belle tried not to feel hurt, "I sent him away. He and Will were being hard headed and wouldn't play nice so I told them they couldn't come back until they worked things out."

"Wow." Henry hadn't expected that from Belle. He couldn't imagine the softhearted woman in front of him had taken such a strong stand on this. "How long ago was it?"

Belle thought for a moment, "A few hours at least. I guess they didn't work things out after all."

"Wait," Henry realized something, "Will as in Will Scarlet, the guy my mom locked up for breaking into the library?"

"The very same."

"Huh, so I guess you two are friends now?"

"I suppose we are," Belle shrugged, "Is that weird?"

"No," Henry said quickly, "Just... different. I can't imagine you two have very much in common."

"There's more to Will than meets the eye. He and I know what it's like to fooled by the one you love."

Henry knew how hard it had been for Belle to force Rumpelstiltskin across the line, but he also knew how badly Rumple had broken her heart and betrayed her trust in the most heinous of ways. Henry had stayed away these past few weeks, thinking she probably didn't want him hanging around her, reminding her of his grandfather. He was glad that Belle had someone she could talk to now, he had really missed spending time with her.

"Isn't weird for you though? I thought Will was a thief."

"Isn't Killian a pirate?"

Henry laughed, "Good point, but my mom loves Killian. So it's kind of different."

Belle felt her face heat up, "Well I certainly don't love him, but that doesn't... I couldn't... We can still be... I can be friends with him, can't I?"

Henry looked at Belle for moment, surprised at how strongly she reacted. He wasn't trying to say she loved Will, it was far too soon after Rumple to be in love with someone else, but the way she reacted did give Henry the impression that maybe it wasn't so far fetched.

Henry decided right then that he needed to meet Will Scarlet. He knew nothing about the man now spending so much time with his once grandma.

"Of course," Henry told her, "I don't think I've ever met him before. Was he from the Enchanted Forest?"

"He wasn't in the book?" Belle asked surprised, and when Henry shook his head, she added, "I thought everyone was in the book."

"Not everyone. Just mostly the people connected to my family's story."

"Strange." She said, "I suppose he'd have to be from the Enchanted Forest, Will and I haven't really talked about it."

They really hadn't. Both of them seemed to prefer not talking about their pasts.  
Belle didn't think that he was from the forest though. Something about him just didn't seem like someone from there.  
"So how is your search going?" Belle asked him, wanting to hear about Henry, and also wanting to change the subject.  
"Not so good. I've memorized this book front to back, gone through with a magnifying glass and still nothing!"  
Belle patted his hand, "You'll figure it out. There's no one who knows that book better than you."  
"I just wish I could figure it out now though. Mom deserves a happy ending."  
"And she will, Henry. How could she not, she has you by her side."  
Henry blushed a little, "Thanks Belle."  
"Anytime."

Before either one of them could say anything else, the door to the library opened once more. Belle was surprised to look up and see Will and Killian stumble through the door, laughing together. She smiled slowly, part of her couldn't believe her idea had actually worked. She had hoped they would befriend one another, but she hadn't thought it would happen so quickly.

"Henry! Lad, I wasn't expecting to see you here." Killian said as he stopped laughing and finally took notice of the library around him.

"I thought I'd check in on Belle before I went home. She said you guys are having some trouble finding a way to save the faeries." Henry was as surprised as Belle, if not more, at the sight of Killian and Will being buddy-buddy. He looked between the two men, feeling just a little suspicious. Once more he realized he needed to find out more about this stranger who seemed to be getting close to his family.

"Aye, we are." Killian said, "But, thanks to this brilliant man that might be changing soon."

As Killian said that, he threw his arm around Will's shoulder's and shook him.

Will laughed, "Oh, bullocks. I ain't done nothin'."

"What's going on? Did you two find something that might help us?" Belle stood up from the table and looked between the two men, once more confused by them.

Will shrugged out from under Killian's arm and straightened his jacket. He walked away from Killian and closer to Belle so that he could stand next to her, "No, we haven't."

"But that doesn't mean we won't. Thanks to Will we might finally be on the right track." Killian butted in.

"What does he mean?" Belle focused her question on Will.

"It's not as big of a deal as he's makin' it to be, honestly." Will reassured her, "All I suggested was that maybe the answer wasn't in the library, but in the same place the hat was."

"You think the key to saving the faeries is in the author's house?"

"It would make sense, wouldn't it? Killian said everything seemed to lead back to the house, why not the answer to saving the faeries?"

"Huh," Belle leaned against the table, "I guess that does make sense."

How could she have missed that? It seemed so obvious now. No wonder she couldn't find anything in her library. She had been searching for the answer in all the wrong places. The Sorcerer wouldn't leave information to his most powerful weapon for just anyone to read. He would keep it hidden. He would keep it close to him so that no one could unleash all of it's secrets.

She looked at Will with a new appreciation, "Did you two find anything there?"

Will shook his head, "Not yet. We only searched a fraction of the house. We were gonna head back over tomorrow though, if you want to join."

"Of course."

Killian stood behind Henry and put his good hand on the boy's shoulder, "I think we've done enough talking about the hat for one day. I say, we all celebrate this discovery by heading down to Granny's for such much needed grub. Yes?"

Will and Belle looked at each other and shrugged. Belle said, "Sounds good to me."

Henry looked up at his mother's boyfriend, "Don't you have a date with mom tonight?"

"You're right!" Killian looked at the time on his watch, "Damn. I can't believe I almost forgot. I suppose the three of you will have to celebrate without me."

"Me too." Henry said as he stood up from the table and put his backpack back on. "I promised mom, Regina, I'd have dinner with her tonight. She made pumpkin pie. I should probably get going so she doesn't worry."

"Well then, I suppose it will just be you two." Will didn't like the way Killian looked at the two of them as he said it. The pirate seemed to be holding back a smile. He was a little too pleased with this situation for Will's liking. "Come on, lad. I'll walk with you to Regina's before I head over to the Sheriff's station."

Belle also couldn't help but notice Killian's strange behavior, or the look on Henry's face. He too seemed to be looking between her and Will. Her earlier reaction to his prodding about their relationship came to mind and she felt strangely embarrassed.

"Okay," Henry said after a moment's pause, "I'll see you later, Belle."

Belle smiled and Henry and Hook left.

The library was quiet for a moment, as she and Will tried to think of something to say. Belle found herself peaking over at the man standing next to her. He was her friend and she was glad for that. Her conversation with Henry earlier had her wondering though, if maybe he could one day be something more.

Will was a very handsome man. He was tall. And smart. And kind. And strong. And funny. He was unlike anyone she had met in a long time. He made her smile like she used to. He made her laugh like she'd never laughed before. They shared a connection that she couldn't deny.

But was that enough? She hardly knew anything about the man standing in her library. She didn't even know where he was from, what his story was. She only knew that he had his heart broken too before.

More than that, she didn't even know who _she_ was. She didn't feel like the same woman she had been in the Enchanted Forest. Hell, she didn't even feel like the same woman who had married Rumple in the first place. How could she possibly know who she could love, when she didn't even know herself?

And it had only been a month and half since she'd ended it with Rumple. She felt guilty just for thinking about Will in any romantic way at all. Rumple was her true love, how terrible was she to already be thinking of another man?

Friendship was the only thing Belle could handle right now.

Will looked at her, and she worried for a moment that he might be able to read the thoughts crossing through her mind. But he couldn't. He held his arm out towards her, "So how about some early dinner? Or late lunch, however you'd like to see it."

She smiled and looped her arm through his, "Sounds wonderful."

* * *

Cruella was sitting at her handcrafted African blackwood desk in the middle of her plush Manhattan office. Her office was easily the largest, most ornate, office in the building, but that was understandable. It was her building after all.  
The flooring was a pristine white marble with specks of black at the corners of the square tiles. Her walls were a luxurious black satin wallpaper adorned with dozens of silver framed mirrors.  
Cruella positively adored the fact that no matter where she stood in her office, she could always see her gorgeous self.  
"Ms. DeVil..." The sound of Cruella's mousy assistant Anita over the phone broke the peaceful silence of her office.  
"What." Cruella snapped.  
"Uh, ma'am... There's... there's someone h-here to see you."  
Cruella rolled her eyes.  
"Do they have an appointment?" She asked slowly, seriously doubting the intelligence of her witless assistant.  
The young woman was the worst possible assistant Cruella had ever had, and that was really saying something considering she'd had more than twenty in her career.  
"Well... n-no... but..."  
"But what? Just spit it out you moron!"  
"Ma'am!" She said, her feelings hurt. "He said to tell you... and these are his words n-not mine... he doesn't like to be kept waiting... d-dearie..."  
Whether or not her ridiculous assistant kept talking, Cruella didn't know. She had stopped listening the moment that term of endearment passed through her assistant's mouth.  
"Send him in, you fool!" Cruella shouted loud enough that Anita didn't need the speaker phone to hear her.  
Cringing slightly, the petite ash-blonde woman stood up from her seat and stumbled her way over to the gentleman and his female companion who were waiting slightly impatiently on the blood red leather couch.  
"Ms. DeVil will see you now, Mr. Gold."

* * *

**First Emma, then Killian, now HENRY? Can't I have one character that supports Scarlet Beauty? Why must everyone be so suspicious? Thankfully Killian is coming around now that he and Will have bonded.**

**And gah! Cruella, my dear dear Cruella. I'm so happy she's finally made an appearance. This story is gaining new characters like crazy, it's almost like they have a mind of their own. I couldn't stand the idea of Cruella being some trophy wife, so I made her into a savvy woman of fashion who owns her own clothing line. It'll make for interesting twist, I promise. As for Gold, he's gonna realize in our world, things don't always go as planned. **

**I have so many ideas for this story guys, I just can't stop.**

**By the way, I couldn't remember if Will had been to the house or not before, so I decided that for my story he hasn't. Also, I can't remember if Henry lives with Regina full time or Emma? I know they probably share him on weekends and stuff, but I couldn't remember if they covered it on the show or not. Let me know if they have, because if not I'm probably going to have him staying with Regina most of the time, just because the Charming's apartment isn't exactly big enough to hold all of them, and with Regina he has his own room so to me it just makes more sense.**

**To **Jewelzy, Chichaco, MelodyHearten, and Isob3l, **thank you so much for the reviews!**

Jewelzy, **I love Will defending Belle too. Honestly I love how Will always protects the people he cares about. Even when he didn't have his heart, he was inherently a good man who always had a way of seeing the good in his friends.**

Chichaco, **I like Will and Hook as friends too. They just make sense. They've both crossed the line between heroes and villains, and they both know what it's like to lose the woman they love. I actually did finally watch the Wonderland series, and I'm very glad that I did. While I don't feel it helped me much with this story since for the majority of the time he was heartless, I am glad that now I know more about Will's past. Plus I realized how much I really love Alice and Cyrus! If only I could find a believable way to bring them to Storybrooke... ):**


	5. Dashed Manhattan Dreams

_Chapter 5._

_Dashed Manhattan Dreams._

When Belle had forced him over the line, Rumpelstiltskin had been at a loss at what to do with himself. Standing on the other side of the town line, staring into the empty distance of the road ahead of him, knowing that Belle was actually there but that he couldn't see her, he had hit an all time low.

He had been so confident in his plan. So sure that he could have both Belle and his power, he hadn't realized how sloppy he'd gotten during the curse.

That damn glove. Of all the things to tip Belle off, it had to be that. He should have disposed of that damn thing years ago. Probably should have just given it to Cruella and Ursula in the first place, but he had been so... furious that they dared to take what was his.

As if he would barter with anyone. He was the Dark One. He was all powerful. The glove and Belle were both his, and he couldn't allow those witches the upper hand.

So he gave them a fake, and allowed Belle to believe that he was a better man than what he truly was.

Maybe Belle was right to throw him over the line.

He hadn't expected it, no, but maybe he could understand why she felt the need to. He had lied to her, manipulated her, used magic against her... Now as he looked back at what he had done he was disgusted with himself.

Belle. His sweet, beautiful, trusting Belle. He had used his magic on her to control her. It hadn't seemed like that at the beginning but now he realized it. How could he hold it against her for feeling betrayed?

He knew better than anyone the terrors of being under someone else's control. How could he, after what Zelena used the dagger to force him to do, ever force someone else in that submissive situation? Least of all his Belle.

She never once tried to use the dagger against him. She knew how terrified he was at the idea of being controlled by it. Granted, she had never had the real dagger, but still. She hadn't known that until the end.

When she had used it, it was only because she had no other choice. He had backed her into a corner that she saw no other way out of. He took the pirate's heart, he planned on killing Emma, and actually did trap the faeries inside of the hat. Of course Belle thought there was no other option.

He could understand why she forced him over the line, no matter how painful it was for him to accept.

He loved Belle, more than anything, more than his power, even if she didn't believe him. He just needed to have a chance to explain himself to her... to apologize...

One more chance. That's all he needed. He would do better this time.

And that is exactly how he now found himself waiting on a ridiculously gaudy blood red couch in the middle of an equally gaudy sitting room. When he had finally recovered from losing Belle, he set to work trying to find a way _back_ into Storybrooke.

There weren't many options. The protection spell that had been cast on the town was powerful. It couldn't be broken without an equally powerful spell to counteract it. And considering this horrible world he was currently stuck in didn't have magic, he was stuck finding a different way in.

He had heard rumors that Ursula and Cruella had been banished to a realm without magic. The chances of him finding them were slim, but somehow he had managed to find Ursula.

Oh, how he had wanted to laugh when he saw the "great and powerful" Goddess scrubbing fish tanks and working for minimum wage. From there it had been child's play convincing her to join him once more.

He had painted a pretty picture for her. A town with magic, a place where she could rewrite her story and finally receive the happy ending she had wanted. She could leave this demeaning job behind her and once more take the role of a Goddess, all she had to do was join him.

Now that he had one witch on his side, he just had to convince the other one to join in too. Ursula had known where to look for her, and it seemed Cruella wasn't exactly living below radar.

No, she was living the high life. It seemed this world had agreed with her quite well. She had used her charisma and beauty to manipulate one of Manhattan's richest bachelors to wed her. After a mysteriously well timed "accident", Cruella found herself as one fabulously rich widow and she used her late husband's fortune to build an empire of her own.

Her designs were the best of the best. They gave Gucci and Ralph Lauren a run for their money.

Rumpelstiltskin had hardly expected that, but still. He couldn't imagine Cruella didn't miss the lure of magic just as much as he and Ursula did. She would cave and join them, if only to feel the rush of her magic once more.

"Send him in you fool!" Cruella's voice was muffled, but he and Ursula heard her just fine. They looked towards each other and smirked. It seemed Cruella hadn't forgotten him so easily, despite the world she had created around her.

The poor girl Rumpelstiltskin had figured was Cruella's assistant shrank back in her spot at Cruella's harsh screech. She jumped up from her seat and rushed over to the two of them, nearly tripping over her own two feet a long the way.

"Ms. DeVil will see you now, Mr. Gold."

Rumpelstiltskin stood up from the couch, only struggling a little from his leg. He gave the frazzled young girl a smile, "Thank you, dearie. You've been such a help."

Anita hadn't heard a 'thank you' since she moved to Manhattan five months ago. And she definitely had _not _heard it since she began working for Ms. DeVil. She hadn't seen many smiles either, not even her own.

Manhattan was so much different than her small town home in Mississippi. It was faster, harsher, and a whole lot meaner. She had thought all her dreams would come true when she came here, but so far all that she'd come to realize was that dreams meant nothing to the people in Manhattan. No one cared about you, or your feelings, they only cared about themselves.

The kindness that this complete stranger showed her, completely brightened her day. She gave him a smile of her own and guided him and his companion into Ms. DeVil's office.

When Ms. DeVil snapped at her to leave, she did so and hardly even minded the harshness of her employer.

When her buffoon of an assistant was out of her office, Cruella turned her attention to the man in front of her desk. "What are _you _doing here, Dark One?"

"It's good to see you too, dearie." Rumple sat down in the seat across from her and Ursula followed suit.

"Why waste time with pleasantries? I'm busy woman, a company to run, you see?" She motioned to the room around them, "I'm not the same woman I was in the Enchanted Forest."

Ursula laughed, and Cruella turned her attention to her, "Ursula, darling. Long time no see. You look positively grubby, dear. Life got you down? I suppose working as a janitor does that to you. I wouldn't know, of course."

Ursula glared at her, and wished she had her tentacle's back already. She would have slapped the condescending smile off of Cruella's face for that. As it was, she almost launched herself across the table at the woman, but one look from the Dark One had her glued to her seat.

"Now, now, dearie. Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?"

Ursula crossed her arms, "We're not friends."

Rumple resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't care if they were friends or not, he just wanted the sea witch to keep her mouth shut.

"I've got to be honest, darling, I hardly expected to see _you _here. Were you banished here, as well?"

Rumple shrugged, "In a matter of speaking. You knew about Regina's curse, well it seems the people prefer this land to the old one."

"Still. You must be going mad without your magic. Must be strange to be so..." Her eyes drifted to the cane that leaned against his chair, "...human, again."

"Funny you should mention it. This world isn't entirely without magic."

"Impossible. I've been all over the world. I would have found it by now if there was."

"Such little faith. The reason why you couldn't find it is because it's protected. Only those who are within the lines of the barrier know of it's existence."

Cruella's interest was piqued, but she tried not to show it, "Really? How is it even possible?"

"When Regina cast her curse, I made sure there was loop hole. I needed to be in this realm, but I needed magic in order to gain what I sought here. When the curse was broken, magic was released, but only so far as the town line."

"Hm," She crossed her arms, "Then once again I must ask, what are _you_ doing _here_? You had your magic."

"Well, you see, dearie, I needed magic past the town line. I couldn't stay in that ridiculous town forever. But when trying to release the magic and abolish the town lines, I was caught and cast out."

"Who on earth would dare confront the Dark One?"

Rumple was quiet for a moment. This time, Ursula had to chuckle. She really enjoyed this part of the story, "Go on, tell her. If you don't, I sure as hell will."

He glared at her, but did as she said, "One of the townspeople had my dagger, she used it to force me over the line."

"And guess who it was?" Ursula butted in.

"How am I supposed to know?" Cruella snapped, but as she said it, she realized there was only one woman close enough to the Dark One to steal his dagger and use it against him. His little serving wench.

She laughed out loud, "Oh, darling, you poor thing. I suppose true love isn't the answer to every problem is it?"

Ursula and Cruella continued to laugh. He snapped his cane down onto Cruella's desk, "Enough. I didn't come here to be mocked. I came to offer you a chance to return to glory. A chance to rewrite your story and finally get your happy ending."

Cruella had flinched back into her chair when the cane came crashing down just inches from where her hands had once been. She shot Rumpelstiltskin a dirty look, "Now, now _dearie_, don't forget you're in _my _world now."

"You think this is _yours_?" He motioned around at the room they were in. He laughed harshly, "This world is no more yours than mine. You might have it all now, but villains don't get happy endings, dearie. This all can and will be taken away from you. Unless you come with us. Together we can rewrite our fates. Together we can finally have it all."

Cruella rolled her eyes. "Not in this world, darling. Villains are practically glorified here. If people want something, they take it. It is harsh and it is _beautiful_. This realm was created for those like us, we just have to know how to mold it to our needs."

She motioned towards the door, "Now you're boring me, leave. I have work to do."

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes narrowed at her, "Are you daft? I am offering you the world, I am offering you magic, power, prestige, happiness!"

She shrugged, "Darling, I have all that. And I didn't have to change the fates in order to do it. In this realm, you don't need magic. I have power and believe me, I am happy. You have nothing to offer me, Dark One. Whatever you need from me, you won't get."

She pressed the call button on her phone, "Anita!"

"Y-yes, Ms. DeVil?"

"My guests are leaving, escort them to the elevator. That is, if you think your miniscule brain can handle a basic task such as that." She barked.

"Of course, Ms. DeVil, right away."

Rumpelstiltskin was boiling alive right now. As he glared at the two faced woman in front of him, he saw red. Oh how he would give anything at all to shove her out of the giant windows behind her. Or perhaps use magic to morph her into one of the many mindless beasts she loves to skin for her opulent fur collection.

This was not how things were supposed to go. How stupid could she be? Did she honestly think that it mattered to him if she wanted to help him?

He had lived for centuries. He didn't get to that point in his life without learning ways to force people to do as he wanted.

He would destroy this world Cruella had created. Of that, he was absolutely sure. It would take time though. Time he hadn't planned on wasting. But perhaps this time was good. He still had to figure out a way to convince Belle he could change for good. She probably also needed time to heal from all of his betrayals. She had to forgive him and that didn't happen over night.

So for now, he would give her that time, and focus on breaking down Cruella's world, piece by piece. If he just knew of a way in...

An idea came to him as the assistant stumbled in once more, a look of slight fear tinting her face. He turned to Cruella, "You should really treat your employees better, dearie. One day they might prove to be useful."

"Don't lecture me, old man. You're wasting my time and my patience."

He simply smirked and turned to leave.

As he and Ursula stepped onto the empty elevator, leaving the frazzled assistant alone once more, Ursula turned to him, "Well? What now?"

"Now." He grimaced, "I get a job."

"It's about damn time."

* * *

Cruella was in her office, mulling over the situation that had just passed in her office. The Dark One, in Manhattan of all places. It was almost funny. If it wasn't unnerving, that is.

His offer was interesting one. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't the tiniest bit interested in the idea of having her magic back.

Still, she hadn't been lying when she had everything she wanted. She had the whole world at her finger tips. Anything else she might want, she could easily get for herself.

She had more money than she knew what to do with. And in this realm, money was as good as magic. It could buy you anything, even people.

But still, with Rumpelstiltskin in Manhattan, she knew she had to be careful.

He wouldn't take no for an answer. He wouldn't walk (or rather, limp, in his case) away after the disrespect she had shown him. There wasn't much he could do though, she tried to reason with herself.

He was a crippled nobody. He had nothing.

But she, she had everything. She could protect her world from him. With enough money, she could probably even make him disappear...

She shook her head. No, it didn't need to come to that. She would just have to have her wits about her. If Rumpelstiltskin thought he could get the drop on her, boy would he be surprised.

"Anita!" She shouted.

There was fumbling from outside the door, and finally the blonde popped her head into the office, "Yes, Ms. DeVil?"

"Send for Alonso. I'm going home for the day. The fabrics over there on the couch have been approved, make sure to have them sent to the designers. Also, cancel the meeting with Macy's I have tomorrow."

"But ma'am, you've canceled-"

"I know, Anita!" She snapped at the assistant, "I don't need you to remind me how many times I've rescheduled on them, I just need you to do as I say. It's not hard. Even the dumbest of dogs can follow orders."

Anita sighed, "Yes, Ms. DeVil."

"Well? What are you waiting for? I want Alonso waiting for me with the car as soon as I walk out the front door and the call won't make itself."

"Sorry, of course, Ms. DeVil, I'll do it now."

* * *

Granny's was practically empty when Belle and Will arrived. Red, who was standing behind the counter looked up a the pair and discarded her fashion magazine.

"Finally! I thought no one was ever going to come in." She smiled at the two, "Hey, Belle, good to see you girl! Where have you been?"

Belle returned her friend's smile, "Hey, Red. I've been busy at the library, actually, how about you?"

"Same old, same old. Still catching shifts here with Granny, trying to learn the ropes of the business." Red's eyes traveled to Will Scarlet and she smirked, "Hey, Scarlet, you want your regular?"

"Nah." He said quickly. Even though he knew Belle had seen him knocked out drunk before, he still didn't like the idea of drinkin' in front of her. He didn't think she would judge him of course, but that didn't mean he wanted to test that theory.

Besides, he only drank to forget Wonderland and fortunately, he hadn't needed to in a while.

"Really?" She asked surprised. It took her a moment, but as she looked between the two she realized, they were here together. Huh. That was certainly new. "Why don't you two have a seat and I'll bring you menus?"

"Thanks, Red."

They did as she asked them to do, and they picked the same booth they had shared the day before.

It was nice having Granny's almost to themselves. Belle didn't have to worry about the townspeople listening in on their conversation, and it was nice to not feel suffocated by the normal crowds of Granny's. She had gotten used to living in solitude. Between her apartment and the library, she rarely had to deal with many people aside from Killian, Emma, and Will. It was nice to have a little bit of that silence and comfort here.

"So," Belle leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, "You and Killian?"

"What? Why you so surprised? It was your idea that we bond. Well, we did." Will wasn't sure why he felt so defensive about his budding friendship with Killian, but he did.

"You're right," She said, "I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. You two were at each others throats when I threw you out. How does that change so fast?"

Will shrugged, "Turns out the pirate an' I have more in common than we thought."

"Such as?"

Will looked away and searched for Red. How long did it take to grab two menus?

He wasn't sure if he really wanted to get into it with Belle. If he told her about Cora, he'd have to tell her about Wonderland, which meant he'd have to tell her about Ana.

Ana was a topic he definitely didn't want to talk about.

He also worried that Belle would think differently of him if she knew of his past with Cora. Sure, she'd never hold it against him. Especially once she knew Cora had used his heart against him. But by telling her about his time as the Knave, he would be reopening a whole section of his life he'd spent all this time burying under countless drunken nights.

When the silence grew between them, Belle leaned back against the booth, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She said this quietly, trying to ignore her slightly hurt feelings. He could open up to Killian about his past, but not her?

She knew it was unfair of her to feel that way. Not everyone found it easy to open up about themselves. She needed to respect that and his choice not to tell her. She needed to let him see she was his friend, and no matter what happened in his past, she would always be his friend.

Her soft words brought his attention back to her. He could hear just a hint of hurt in her words, and he hated that he was to blame for it.

Belle had been so nice to him from the very beginning. She was his friend, and he didn't want to be the cause of pain for her, no matter how small the pain might be.

So even though he still wasn't entirely sure about it, Will told her, "Killian and I both worked for Cora for a while. Not at the same time, o'course, but we knew o' each other 'cause o' her."

"You worked for Cora?"

"Yea, long time ago, way before the first curse was cast."

Belle couldn't imagine the man sitting across from her as a villain. He was a thief, sure, but Cora... Cora was evil. How could he work for a woman like that? There had to be an explanation.

Before she could ask, they were both brought out of there bubble by Red walking back to the table, "Sorry it took so long!" She placed the menus in front of them. "You guys want something to drink?"

"Tea, please." Belle said.

"Just water." Will could see by Belle's face that she was dying to ask him questions. He could understand that too. After all, he had just dropped quite the bomb on her.

"Sure thing." Red noticed how tense the two were and was glad to disappear quickly.

Belle leaned forward once more, "Cora? How did you even get involved with her in the first place?"

Will pretended to be immersed in the menu, "Don't really know where to start."

She sighed and pushed her own menu away, she already knew what she wanted, "The beginning, maybe? How did you meet her? _Where_ did you meet her? It couldn't have been in the Enchanted Forest."

Knowing there was no point in trying to change the subject, Will snapped the menu shut and pushed it off next to Belle's. He leaned back and scratched behind his ear, "I was in Wonderland. After my stint with Robin in Sherwood, I needed someplace out o' the way to lay low. I used an enchanted mirror to get to Wonderland and that's when I met Cora."

He figured if he jumped right in it was less likely he'd have to tell her about Ana. If he could just avoid mentioning her, he'd be fine.

Belle fell back against her seat once more, this time completely shocked.

Wonderland? Of all the places... she certainly hadn't expected Wonderland. She had known somehow that he wasn't a resident of the Enchanted Forest and now it almost made sense. That first night she had found him passed out in the library clutching Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland now made so much sense.

Red had just finished making their drinks when she paused at the kitchen door and peeked through the window. They seemed to be in the middle of an extremely important conversation that she was trying her best not to use her wolfy hearing to eavesdrop on.

She opened the door as loudly as she could and made her way over to them, "Alright, here's your drinks. You guys know what you want to eat?"

Her loud interruption had them both quiet by the time she got to them. She set the drinks down and waited.

"I'll take a cheeseburger, please." Belle tried to smile at her friend and act normal, but she was having a hard time. She was finally getting some answers about Will's past, so it was hard for her not to feel a little irritated at the interruptions.

"The same." Will picked up the two menus and handed them to Red.

"Comin' right up." Red was glad to leave the two alone once more.

Once Red was in the kitchen once more, Belle turned her attention to Will, "What happened? Why did you stop working for her?"

"Cora sent me to kill someone. A girl named Alice. She told me the Alice had been terrorizing her people. Stealin' and murderin'."

"_Alice_? The little girl from the book? That can't be true."

"It wasn't." Will chuckled. He could only imagine Alice's reaction to being called a 'little girl'. "And she wasn't so little either. She had been comin' to Wonderland since she was a girl, trying to find proof to bring back to her father. I tracked her for days, weeks even, but she was good. She managed to always stay one step a head of me. One day she got tired of running. So she set a trap. Had me hangin' from a tree in no time. When I told her I couldn't stop hunting her despite her innocence, she offered to break into the queen's palace and steal back me heart."

Belle gasped quietly, "Cora had your heart?"

"Yeah, but Alice upheld her end of the bargain. She got my heart an' gave it back to me. In return I 'elped her catch the rabbit so she could use him as proof for her father. We parted ways after that."

"Oh, Will..." She wanted to apologize to him. Even though she had tried not to judge him for his past, she had certainly began to look at him differently before he told her about his heart.

"Ah," Will ducked his head and looked towards the kitchen again, "Don't look at me like that, will ya?"

"Like what?" She asked, confused.

"Like ya feel sorry for me or somethin'. I made plenty o' mistakes in my life, and I sure as hell don't want no pity for it."

"Oh, but Will, you couldn't have stopped Cora from taking your heart. It's not your fault she forced you to-"

"Can we not talk about this?" He asked as once again Red interrupted them.

"Okay," Red pretended that she hadn't heard any of their conversation, "I've got both of your burgers, hot and ready."

She placed the plates on to the table and Belle smiled at her, "Thanks."

"No problem. If you guys need anything just holler. I'll be in the kitchen, I've got some stuff to get caught up on." With that, Belle and Will were left alone again.

The atmosphere was tense as they sat.

Belle picked at her fries, suddenly not feeling so hungry.

Will was eating his like a starving man in an attempt to avoid conversation. He knew he had hurt Belle's feelings. Again. How it was possible for him to keep doing what he was trying so hard not to do, he just didn't know.

Finally Belle sighed, "I'm sorry, Will. Your past is your past. You don't owe me an explanation for anything. I shouldn't be pushing you to tell me things, especially if you don't feel comfortable talking about them."

He finished chewing and took a drink of his water before replying, "You don't need to apologize. Truth is, my past in Wonderland is complicated. There's good and bad things that happened there and a bit of both that I don't like to think about. I shouldn't 'ave snapped at you though. Sorry about that."

"It's alright." Belle smiled at him, "If you're not ready to talk about Wonderland, then you don't have to. But I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to."

* * *

Emma was in her room, putting on the final touches to her make up when she finally heard a knock on the door. She gave herself a once over, making sure she looked okay. David and Snow were downstairs and would get the door so there was no need for her to rush.

Tonight was supposed to be a low key kind of night. Not Granny's, but not as fancy as their first date either. She had on a pair of plain black skinny jeans, a silky blue sleeveless top, and a pair of black sandal heels with silver cuffs at the ankles. She threw on her black leather jacket, figuring she would probably get cold at some point that night.

She was ready, but she paused for a moment longer, staring at herself.

Was it silly of her to have butterflies right now? Because she felt like her entire stomach was bubbling over with them.

This wasn't her first date with Killian. Hell, they'd been on plenty of dates together. So why did it _still _feel like it is? Couldn't her body stop psyching her out?

Would she always get butterflies around him? Emma wasn't sure she could handle this giddy feeling she got when he was around for the rest of her life. Not that she assumed they would be together the rest of their lives.

Well, she also wasn't saying she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with him either. It was just too soon to be thinking that far into the future. He made her feel so unbelievably happy, and that wasn't something she was used to at all. Though, she was learning to slowly accept the idea that things could go her way, thanks to David and Snow. Her parents were slowly, but surely convincing her that she could have everything she always secretly wanted growing up.

She wanted to believe that she and Killian could have it all, but she also knew life didn't always go as planned, and happy endings were difficult even for saviors to find. So she was trying her best to keep a straight head about all of this.

It was just so difficult to think at all when he looked at her with those dreamy blue eyes... and that accent... damn.

"Emma?" Snow called up the stairs, "Killian's here."

She took a breath to calm herself, "Coming!"

She forced herself to ignore the butterflies in her stomach and walked out her room and down the stairs. Waiting for her, dressed in dark jeans, a button down shirt, and his trademark leather jacket, was her favorite pirate.

Killian paused for a moment, as he watched her walk down the stairs. It never failed to amaze him just how easily she could leave him in awe. Did she know just how wonderfully beautiful she was? How utterly amazing and fantastic she was?

Did she know just how ardently he admired everything about her?

She was so much than a pretty face. She was smart, brave, strong, and she was good. So, so good. He didn't think she had a single selfish bone in her body. She did so much for the people of this town, and asked nothing in return of them.

And she was good mother too. She might be new at it, but the relationship she shared with her young boy was refreshing sight for Killian to see.

Growing up with only his brother to rely on, Killian had never seen what a strong bond mother and son could have. It was amazing to watch Emma with Henry.

One day, he hoped to share a part in the family, but he also knew that as perfect as he thought of her as, she was still a little jagged around the edges. It was too soon for Killian to be thinking of the future like that. Emma still needed to heal from her past, heal from losing Neal, before Killian could think of making their relationship a little more permanent.

And for her, he'd wait as long as she needed. He was in no rush.

"Emma." He smiled, "You look beautiful, as always."

She blushed a little, "Thanks, you don't look so bad either."

"So!" Snow interrupted the two to save David from having to watch his only daughter flirt with her pirate boyfriend, "Where are you guys going tonight?"

Killian turned to Snow, "Out to eat. Perhaps a movie after wards, unless the lady objects."

Emma shrugged, "No objections from me."

She didn't really care what they did. She just enjoyed being with him.

"Oh well, that sounds like fun!" Snow said excitedly, David and she hadn't been out for a date since Neal was born. It was just such a hassle to try and find a babysitter, and then try to figure out something to do that they hadn't already done a million times in the tiny town of storybrooke.

Of course they were at a point in their relationship where dates just weren't as important anymore. They were with each other practically all the time. For couples who were just starting out, like Emma and Killian, spending time together and going out on exciting new dates was an important stage.

Still, Snow couldn't help but feel a little envious of her daughter. Perhaps a date with her husband was more important than she realized. She'd have to talk to him about it.

"We should probably get going." Emma said.

"You're right," Killian agreed.

He opened the door for her and bowed, "M'lady."

She rolled her eyes but still chuckled at his chivalrous behavior. Killian took her to a small restaurant on the other side of town called Tiana's. It was a nice little place, cozy and warm. At the back of the dining room was a stage. On it was a live jazz band.

She wasn't really someone who listened to jazz, but right now she couldn't imagine a better background music.

"So, love, how was your day?" Killian asked as he held her seat out for her.

She sat down, "Same as it has been lately. It's actually been really..."

"Peaceful?"

"Boring." Emma admitted sheepishly.

Killian laughed, "Only you could find complaint with peace, Swan."

"Well, it's not like I want another sorceress to freeze the town or turn us into her own personal flying monkeys," She defended herself, "I just want something a little more exciting than a 'noise complaint' about Pongo every other day."

"I'm not complaining. It's nice to have a bit of calm waters for a while. Plenty of time to focus on saving the faeries."

"How's that going, by the way? Belle's been holed up in that library for so long I was starting to worry."

"Not the best, but we had a break through today."

"Yeah? A break through that involved Scarlet?"

Killian gave her a look, "Yes, how did you know?"

"Saw the two of you together. Thought it was strange." She shrugged, "What's his deal, anyway?"

"He's not as bad as you seem to think he is, you know. He's actually a rather interesting bloke."

"Oh, no," She said, "Don't tell me you've befriended him.

Killian laughed, "He's a good man, love."

"He's been practically glued to Belle's side these past weeks, that's weird."

"It's not that weird." It really wasn't. The man had a crush on Belle, couldn't Emma see that? It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world to Killian. "Have you ever considered that perhaps the only ulterior motive that Will has, is to spend more time with Belle?"

"But _why_?"

"Because he likes her!" Killian all but laughed out loud. He noticed he had caught the attention of a few of the other patrons and made sure to talk quieter when he continued, "Honestly Emma, for a woman as smart as you are, you can be extremely obtuse."

Liked her? Of course Belle was a very likeable person, but she only just lost Gold. There was no way Emma's brunette friend was ready for someone new. Besides, Gold was Belle's true love. Emma couldn't imagine if Snow lost David that she would ever be able to move on. Surely Belle felt the same way.

Even as Emma thought that, she realized that not all true loves are the same. Killian had loved Milah, but he was with her now and seemed pretty happy to be with her. Even Regina and Robin had both lost the people they loved and had managed to find love again with each other.

True love wasn't simple. It was complicated and messy. Her time in Storybrooke had shown her that people were more than capable of moving on past true love.

But that didn't mean Scarlet was the right person for Belle.

"There's just..." Emma sighed, "There's something about the guy that doesn't sit well with me. I don't know how to explain it. I just don't think he's the best person to be spending time with Belle. She's gone through a lot lately, she's vulnerable. What if he causes her even more pain then she's already in?"

Killian leaned forward and grabbed Emma's hands, "You're worried about her. I get that. It's a noble thing, love. But I think Belle is a little stronger than you're giving her credit for. I don't think Will would ever hurt her intentionally, but if he did, it wouldn't be your duty to protect her."

"Maybe..."

* * *

**Okay wow, sorry for the wait. I gotta be honest with you, I've had this chapter written for months and just never got around to posting it. I also haven't watched OUAT in forever either, like I'm pretty sure the season this is set in is the last season I watched and I don't think I finished it either.**

**For those of you who don't hate me too much, thank you for sticking with it to this point. I'm going to try not to abandon it, because I really do love the story I had planned.**

**What do you think of Rumple, huh? What job do you think he's thinking of? How do you think he plans on bringing down Cruella's empire? Did you like my references to Anita and Alfonso? It made me giggle to write them in.**

**I told you, things weren't going to be canon. It's going to take some time for Rumple to get back to Storybrooke, but he will eventually get there.**

RedTailedHawkens**, asked me to break down how much of the canon plot I plan on following. Not much. Obviously I've already diverged from the canon events some, but it'll pretty much become a completely different storyline once the shadow demon is released. I'm worried about spoiling the plot for you guys, so I won't go into much more detail, but just know that the faeries will be saved, the demon will get released, but once again, Rumple's plans won't go as they're supposed to because I love making things difficult for him. I won't have the same author or sorcerer. I don't plan on following the storyline for Ursula or Cruella. Maleficent and Zelena... I haven't made a decision yet. I'm torn between hating their storyline and sort of liking them so I'm gonna need time to think about it.**

**Also, she asked if I planned on explaining what happened to Ana... I am, don't worry. While a former co-worker has let me know what the canon reason for their time apart is, I will not be following along because in the wise words of Nick Fury "Given that it's a stupid ass (reason), I've elected to ignore it". I probably won't touch on it soon, Will is still pretty withdrawn when it comes to Wonderland, and he's not ready to open up about Ana yet. But it will be an important part of this story and a big bonding moment for him and Belle. I'm very excited.**


End file.
